Vining Varieties of Squash

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The squash family includes six different species, all of which can be eaten as young and tender summer squash or as mature, thick-skinned winter squash. What separates the two groups is the ability of some varieties to store well over the winter, and -- as a general rule -- most summer squashes grow as a bush or a weak vine, and winter squashes are vining.

Cucurbita Maxima

Recognized by their long vines, huge leaves with rounded tips, and soft, hairy stems, the C. maxima species includes more than 100 cultivars. Consider growing the better-known “Buttercup,” Hubbard” and “Turban” squashes or the more rare “Guatemalan Blue,” “Harvest Moon,” “Hokkaido Orange” and “Zucca Marina di Chiogggia.” C. maxima has a shorter growing season than C. mixta or C. moschata, but is the most likely to have problems with insects. Watch out for “Emerald Bush Buttercup” and “Gold Nugget” -- they are two squashes in this group with a bush habit.

Cucurbita Pepo

C. pepo is one of the fastest to produce fruit -- many of the cultivars in this group are grown as summer squash with a non-vining, bush habit. This includes all of the zucchinis, scalloped squashes and the summer crookneck squashes. You still have a huge selection of vining winter varieties, including striped and warted gourds, pumpkins, "Acorn," “Delicata,” “Spaghetti Squash” and “Fordhook.” Additionally, some of the vining English marrow varieties can be picked when immature and eaten like a young zucchini.

Cucurbita Mixta

Varieties of C. mixta have spreading vines, hard-stemmed fruit and large leaves. Cultivars include most “Cushaws, “Santa Domingo,” “Gila Cliff Dweller,” “Hopi Teardrop” and “Pepita Guatemala.” All squash grow best in full sun, with a floating row cover over them to keep out pests such as the striped melon beetles. You can remove the cover when the plants start to vine. To save space, grow smaller varieties along a fence or other strong support.

Cucurbita Moschata

In her book “Seed to Seed,” Suzanne Ashworth identifies roughly 100 varieties of C. moschata, including “Butternut,” “Calabaza,” “Hopi Tan,” and “Whanga Crown.” This group is recognized by spreading vines, large, hairy leaves with pointed tips and small, beige seeds. While most of the varieties are winter squashes, the list includes Italian heirlooms such as the “Zucchetta Rampicante,” a summer squash that grows on vigorous vines and is sometimes sold as “Trompetta di Albenga,” “Tromba d’Albenga,” or “Zucchino Rampicante.”

Pests and Diseases

Cucumber beetles are a common pest on squashes, carrying bacterial wilt from plant to plant. Another bug, the squash vine borer, works its way into stems, causing localized wilting. Use a sharp knife to cut into the plant at the infestation site and remove the borer -- a type of caterpillar. Squash bugs also damage plants, but can be picked off by hand. Diseases bothering squash plants include bacterial and fusarium wilt, downy mildew and blossom end rot. Blossom rot can be prevented by keeping the soil mulched and evenly moist.

About the Author

Suzanna Didier's work appears in online publications including the National Geographic website, SFGate and Local.com. She is an avid cook who lives on a hobby farm, direct-markets organic produce to local restaurants and has taught at the preschool, elementary and college levels. Didier holds a Master of Arts in education from the University of Oregon.